without Faith in Christ. I ask then, whether the Cen turion, the Woman of Canaan, and the Samaritan be lieved in Chrift, or not? If you fay they did not then Chrift fpoke an Untruth in Commending their Faith, which is Blafphemy. If you fay they did then they were faved by their Faith in Chrift: and thefe three Examples are as wide from the Purpose, as that of Job.

» G. The Pattern of Charity is placed in the Perfon of a Samaritan in Oppofition both to a Prieft and Levite, Luke 10. v. 30. Which makes good what St Peter faid of Cornelius a Gentile. A&t. 10. 2.30. Now I truly fee that God is no Respecter of » Perfons: But in every Nation he that feareth him, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him. pag. 40.

L. That is, God makes no Difference between Jews and Gentiles, who feek him with a fincere Heart. But did not God even work a Miracle to bring this Cornelius to the Faith of Chrift? And is not this a rare Proof that it is not neceffary to Salvation! But let us hear out the rest of your Story.

G. This is the Doctrine, which Christ taught, » Luke 4. 4. 25. When he minded the Jews that a "Widow of Sarepta a City in Sidon and Naaman the Syrian were prefer'd to all the Widows and Le»pers in Ifrael. Which fo enraged the Jews tena

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cious of the Priviledge of their Church, that they » thrust him out of their City, and led him unto the Brow of their Hill, whereon their City was built, that they » might cast him down headlong. And it is faid that they were fill'd with Wrath. pag. 41.

L. Here are three Examples more full as good as the four former, and the Scriptures equally trifled with. For is not this a ftrange fort of Argument! A Samaritan had more Compaffion than a Prieft or

165 Levite, and took Care of a wounded Man: A Prophet went to the Widow of Sarepta, and Naaman the Syrian was cured of a Leprofy: Therefore Hea thens may be faved without Faith in Chrift. Really, Sr, I am weary of Hearing the Scriptures thus abufed, and shall shortly want fome Grains of Job's Pa tience to hear you out. However proceed.

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G. The like Fury they shew'd, when St Paul & told them that the Gospel was to be extended «‹ beyond the Pale of their Church, and that God « had fent him to the Gentiles. And they gave him Au- « dience unto that Word, and then lift up their Voices, e and faid, away with fuch a Fellow from the Earth. And s they cry'd out, and caft off their Cloaths and threw i duft into the Air. Act. 22. V. 22. And the like Rage is feen among the zealots of your Church, when & they hear of the Gospel being extended out of the « Pale of their Communion, tho with Chriftians, who hold the three ancient Creeds, and have every Thing effential to a Church, except what Rome « has made fo, viz. the Univerfal and unlimited So- « vereignty of her Bishop. pag. 41. «

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L. Sr, your Comparison between the Jews and us will not recommend either your Judgment of Charity; The Jews bore a mortal Hatred to the Gentiles and therefore had not the Patience to hear any one fay, they could be render'd capable of Salvation by having the Gospel preach'd to them, or any other Way than by becoming Jews. This was the true Occafion of their exceffive Rage against St Paul, who told them he was fent by God to preach the Gospel to them. But was there ever any Roman Catholick in the World guilty of fuch black malice, as to be enraged to fee the Gospel extended to infi dels? Do we not dayly pray for it? Nay have we hot Seminaries expresfly founded for the Education

of Perfons, whose whole Bufinefs it is to facrifice themselves for that holy End? And where then is the Senfe or Justice of your Comparison ?

Ay but the Jewish Rage is feen among the Zealots of our Church, when they hear of the Gospel being extended out of the Pale of their Communion, tho with Chriftians, who hold the three Creeds, and have every Thing essen tial to a Church. Really, Sr, I pity your Mistake. For I take it to be a fundamental Truth, that the Church of Chrift, and by Confequence the Creeds and Gospel rightly understood can only be in one Communion, which we heartily wish may be extended to all Nations in the World. And we are fo far from being enraged against those, that have cut themselves off from that Communion by Apoftacy or Herely, that we heartily compaffionate their Condition, and pray and labour continually for their Converfion. But we can never be perfuaded that any heretical Communion has all the Effentials of the true Church of Chrift, whereof Unity of Faith (without which there is no Salvation according to St Paul) is one. As to the unlimited Sovereignty (as you call it) of the Bishop of Rome it is neither an Article of our Faith nor any Term of Communion. So you need not be afraid of it. The spiritual Supremacy of St Peter's Succeffor is indeed an Article of Faith; but it is one of Chrift's own Making, as has been fully proved.

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"G. This is the great Bone of Contention, wherein Rome ftands fingle, thrusting all Chriftion Chur»ches from her, like a Man in a Boat, who thinks he thrufts the Shore from him, whereas he only thrufts himself from the Shore: As Firmilian said to Stephen Bishop of Rome excidifti teipfum, neli te » fallere. Do not deceive yourself, you have cut yourself off from the Church. For he is truly a » Schifmatick who has made himself an Apoftate from

167 he Communion of the Ecclefiaftical Unity. For a while you think you can excommunicate all other a Churches from you, you have only excommuni- « cated yourself from them. Dum enim putas omnes « abs te abftineri poffe, te ipfum abftinuifti. Cyp. Epift. 75. pag. 41. 42. "

L. Sr, the Pope's Supremacy is the great Bone of Contention with Hereticks and Schifmaticks, just as the rightful Prerogative of the Crown is the great Bone of Contention with rebellious Subjects. And the Church of Rome has the fame Reason to thrust Hereticks from her, as a lawful Sovereign to attaint Rebels. As to Firmilian, and St Cyprian, they were certainly engaged in a wrong Caufe, as you yourself muft own. And if you had produced their Words to prove that they denied the Pope's Infallibility, you would have spoken to the Purpose. But Infallibility and Supremacy are two Things. For tho it be very probable that they denied the former, they never queftion'd the latter; but only blamed Pope Stephen for Making an ill Use (at least as they thought) of his Authority against them. And therefore told the Pope, that if he should excommunicate the Eastern Bishops unjustly, he would only hurt himself by it: Which is the true Meaning of their Words. But you will have fome Difficulty to shew, that the Church of Rome excommunicates Hereticks unjustly.

§. 30.

The Subject of Supremacy and Iufallibility resumed.

G.

MY Lord, the Church of the Jews had a «

much stronger Plea for her universal Su- « premacy and Infallibility, because all Profelytes of " whatever Nations muft come to her. For there «

was no other Vifible Church of God upon Earth' and the Sacrifices were limited to the Temple at Jerufalem. Accordingly we find, A&. 8. ¥. 27. that » the Eunuch came out of Ethiopia to Jerufalem for to worship. pag. 42.

L. Sr, the Jewish Church had perhaps as strong a Plea for the Supremacy of her high Priest over all the Jews as the Church of Chrift has for the Supremacy of St Peter's Succeffor over all Chriftians. And where is the Inconveniency of it? We shall confider her Infallibility hereafter, which is a very different Thing.

But what you add, viz. that all Profelytes of whatever Nations were bound to come to the Jewish Church, is the fame as if you told me, that all, who turn'd Jews, were bound to come to the Jewish Church: which is very true indeed, but nothing to the Purpose. Becaufe none of thofe, who were true Believers among the Gentiles, were bound to turn Jews; that is, embrace the Law of Circumcifion ;. Neither were thefe obliged to come to Jerufalem to offer their Sacrifices, but were at Liberty to offer them to the true God, where-ever they pleased. 'Tis true, many of the Gentiles themfelves, efpecially the true Believers a mong them, had a great Veneration for the Temple of Jerufalem, where God was truly worshipped: And, if the Eunuch you fpeak of, was a Gentile, this was doubtless the Occafion of his Coming thither to worship. I ask you then, whether this Eunuch was a Few or Gentile? If a Jew, your Argument is frivolous. For there is no doubt but Jews could Sacrifice no where but at Jerufalem. If he was a Gentile, then all Gentiles were not Infidels. For he, who came to adore the true God, could not surely be an Infidel.

But, Sr, I am ftill in Expectation of the infe rences you will draw from what you faid laft.

G. My